Software Process Management

This course provides an introduction to the study of software engineering by closely examining the software development process. Several popular software development process models are examined, along with topics on the software lifecycle, quality management, and software configuration management.

Course info

Rating

(173)

Level

Intermediate

Updated

Nov 18, 2014

Duration

3h 43m

Description

One of the most basic aspects of software engineering is an understanding of the software development process. This course on Software Process Management lays the foundation for a study in software engineering by examining several popular models for software development. The course begins with a study of the software lifecycle, and then introduces several of the most popular and widely-used models for software development, beginning with the most fundamental and working through to the more advanced. After covering these models, the course examines quality as it relates to the overall process of software development, and discusses the ways software configuration management can be used to improve quality.

About the author

Gregory Knight began writing software at the age of twelve, and holds a Masters of Science Degree in Software Engineering. With over 30 years of experience in software engineering, Knight has developed software solutions for businesses around the world. He currently serves as VP of Development for RMB Solutions, Inc.

Section Introduction Transcripts

Section Introduction Transcripts

Waterfall and "V" ModelsNow that we have a good understanding of the software lifecycle we can start exploring some specific models of software development. Good software doesn't just happen. To start with we have to have a confident understanding of exactly what our software product needs to do. Then it must be carefully designed, built, and tested. And as if that weren't enough we must be able to maintain the software after it is in use, fix any defects that surface, and enhance it as user's needs change. This is a tall order, and if we're going to be successful at building our software we're going to have to follow a good process. In this module I'm going to introduce you to a couple of the oldest and most fundamental software development process models, the Waterfall Model and the "V" Model. They've been in use for years, and studying them can help us better understand not only the basic steps necessary to building a good piece of software, they can also help us understand the challenges to building a good piece of software. So, we're going to start out with an introduction to the Waterfall Model. I'll describe how it's used along with the advantages of the model, as well as the disadvantages. Then we'll take a look at an extension of the Waterfall Model called the "V" Model and examine its pros and cons as well.